Was defensive coordinator last year

Published: Saturday, February 2, 2013 at 09:00 AM.

“I prayed about it and I felt this was a position the good Lord put me in. I’m fortunate and grateful to Mr. Cloninger and the Richlands community has taken me in like I’ve been one of their own.

“And I wish Mike and his family the best. I will always be grateful to Mike. I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”

Snider is uncertain whether he will continue to run the defense or give the responsibility to an assistant coach. The Wildcats yielded 28 points per game last year in finishing 3-8 overall and 2-5 in the East Central 2-A Conference, but made strides on defense as the year went on.

Snider said his next step will be to put together a coaching staff and then go from there. Richlands will jump to the Coastal 3-A Conference next year.

“When we know the staff situation, we will be in a better situation,” Snider said. “We know coach Jason Spruill is coming back to coach football, and he and I will start running the weight room for spring conditioning after school.

“We will start the weight program in the next couple of days, but the No. 1 thing on the agenda is we have to get our staff situated. It’s been a while since I’ve had to do this. I have to get back in practice.”

And when the Wildcats begin practice of their own, Snider has one simple rule he demands his players to abide: No profanity.

RichlandsHigh School didn’t take too long or look too far for its next head football coach.

Defensive coordinator Justin Snider was named the Wildcats’ new coach on Friday, replacing Mike Natoli, who resigned last Thursday to move back to CatawbaCounty after the school year.

The 38-year-old Snider said Principal Darin Cloninger offered him the job Friday and later in the day introduced him to his players.

“I’m excited and I’m looking forward to it,” Snider said. “I really enjoy these kids and I have grown really attached to them during the last year. Change is always hard for kids, but this minimizes the shock factor for the kids.”

Cloninger declined to say how many applications he received for the position or how many people he interviewed, saying only that there was “a lot of interest” in the job.

But Cloninger said Snider was a good fit at Richlands. This is Snider’s first year at the school after previously being a head coach and athletic director in Oklahoma before moving to HollyRidge. Snider teaches earth science at Richlands.

“He is a really good staff member,” Cloninger said. “He did a great job with the defense and he has a great rapport with the kids. Coach Natoli has a lot of good things to say about him. He’s good for the kids, he knows football and he’s going to work hard for the kids.”

Snider worked as a teacher and coach in Texas for seven years before working in Oklahoma for two years prior to coming to Richlands. He moved to the area last year to be closer to his daughter, who lives in Wilmington with her mother.

“The last year was the hardest year in my life because I was away from my daughter,” Snider said. “Every day I woke up lost in a crowd of friends. I needed to be where my daughter was.”

It didn’t take long for Cloninger to get a good impression of Snider.

“When he (Natoli) put me in touch with coach Snider, I knew I wanted Justin on staff,” Cloninger said. “I felt he was good for kids and a really good teacher.”

Snider said he didn’t have “any intention” of becoming a head coach again when he arrived in OnslowCounty. Instead, he was content on being the Wildcats’ defensive coordinator.

Then Natoli resigned and the door opened for Snider.

“As time passed, I felt like what was best for the kids was to minimize the adjustment and give them an opportunity to be successful,” Snider said. “I grew very attached to these kids and I felt like I still had something to offer.

“I prayed about it and I felt this was a position the good Lord put me in. I’m fortunate and grateful to Mr. Cloninger and the Richlands community has taken me in like I’ve been one of their own.

“And I wish Mike and his family the best. I will always be grateful to Mike. I couldn’t ask for a better situation.”

Snider is uncertain whether he will continue to run the defense or give the responsibility to an assistant coach. The Wildcats yielded 28 points per game last year in finishing 3-8 overall and 2-5 in the East Central 2-A Conference, but made strides on defense as the year went on.

Snider said his next step will be to put together a coaching staff and then go from there. Richlands will jump to the Coastal 3-A Conference next year.

“When we know the staff situation, we will be in a better situation,” Snider said. “We know coach Jason Spruill is coming back to coach football, and he and I will start running the weight room for spring conditioning after school.

“We will start the weight program in the next couple of days, but the No. 1 thing on the agenda is we have to get our staff situated. It’s been a while since I’ve had to do this. I have to get back in practice.”

And when the Wildcats begin practice of their own, Snider has one simple rule he demands his players to abide: No profanity.

“I don’t cuss in front of the kids and the coaches don’t cuss,” he said. “I am a firm believer in discipline and it starts with self control. People become a product of their environment.”